Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim have been the subject of dating rumors for quite some time. On a recent episode of ESPN’s First Take, the two finally addressed these speculations. The conversation began when co-host Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo teased them about their matching outfits, jokingly asking who said ‘I do’ first.
Qerim, with a hint of sarcasm, responded, ‘Who said ‘I don’t?” This light-hearted banter set the stage for Smith to address the rumors head-on. ‘No! There’s nothing going on. You understand what I’m saying?’ Smith declared. ‘America’s been lying about that for a couple of years.’
Russo, who often gets asked about Smith and Qerim’s relationship, found the situation amusing. ‘I get asked all the time: ‘How’s the famous couple doing?” he shared. Qerim, finding the conversation comedic, added, ‘You know what’s the funniest part? Is people actually believe it.’
Smith took the opportunity to joke about their good looks and ‘great taste,’ attributing these qualities to the show’s success. ‘But here’s the upside to all of that – they know my taste,’ Smith said. ‘So, therefore, they know that’s a compliment to her. And, obviously, she has great taste as well, so I guess that’s America’s way of saying we both really really look good.’
Qerim joined First Take in 2015, replacing Cari Champion after her promotion to ESPN’s flagship show, Sports Center. She was previously married to retired NBA player and former ESPN personality Jalen Rose. Their divorce became public in December 2021 when Rose announced their split on Instagram.
In 2022, Rose addressed the rumors surrounding Qerim and Smith in an interview with GQ. ‘In my personal relationship, it was laughable to me, to see [Molly Qerim] and I mutually part ways, be in accord about why we’re parting ways, and still see people speculating on why,’ Rose said. ‘Not only speculating — in particular saying it was because her and Stephen A. Smith had a relationship.’
Rose emphasized that the rumors were baseless. ‘And, like, unequivocally, I’m not here to speak for what he does in his personal life or what she does in her personal life, I got love for both of them. We still 100. I would just say that for people who thought we parted ways because they have a relationship? Then I got some swampland in Detroit to sell you for top dollar. That is not why we split.’
Rose also explained that the rumors were not addressed publicly because he, Qerim, and Smith had discussed them privately. ‘It was trending [online], [Smith] was trending, [Qerim] was trending, I was trending. It was a real thing,’ Rose said. ‘And, like, am I about to respond to that? It gave me a real fork in the road. But I didn’t, because I knew it wasn’t true. I would just be fueling those people. Not responding, and finally sprinkling some here and there, it made people who ran with it look less credible.’
He continued, ‘We discussed it. It’s why none of us said anything. People would say, ‘Jalen’s a sucker, Stephen A. snatched his wife and he up there workin’ with him,’ or ‘Look, at Molly, she was talkin’ to Jalen yesterday now she kickin it with…’ That ain’t happen. We all looked at it like: it was such a reach. That’s why none of us have spoken on it.’
